A tragic accident occurred on Thursday morning at the under-construction Sagaur Railway bridge in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, when a girder being lifted by two cranes collapsed. Police confirmed that a truck driver and a conductor lost their lives, while four others sustained injuries. The deceased have been identified as Abhay Patidar, a mini-truck driver, and Kalyan Singh, a conductor.
According to police sources, two cranes were lifting a girder simultaneously from both ends around 9:30 AM in the Pithampur Sector 3 industrial area on the Sagaur side. Suddenly, one of the cranes toppled over due to unstable ground, causing it to fall onto a Tata Magic and a pickup truck passing beneath the bridge. The vehicles were crushed, impacting the occupants inside severely.
Dhar Superintendent of Police Mayank Awasthi stated that rescue operations took two hours, during which the injured were extricated from the wreckage and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. The accident site has been cordoned off for investigation.
Local advocate Rajesh Chaudhary criticized railway officials and contractors for negligence, pointing out that no service road was provided at the site, and the unstable ground contributed to the crane sinking and overturning. Despite multiple warnings, no preventive action was reportedly taken.
The railway overbridge project, approximately 500 meters long, has been under construction for nearly three years. Following the incident, two additional cranes have been deployed to remove the toppled crane to avoid further disruption. Officials have yet to release a detailed report, and inquiries are ongoing.